Window holding device



May 15, 1951 M. SCIUTO 2,553,013

WINDOW HOLDING DEVICE Filed June 20, 194"] 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 INVENTOR. MICHELE SCI UTO ATTORNEY May 15, 1951 M squm 2,553,013

WINDOW HOLDING DEVICE INVENTOR. MICHELE SCiUTO ATTORNEY Patented May 15, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WINDOW HOLDING DEVICE Michele Sciuto, Oswego, Oreg.

Application June 20, 1947, Serial No. 756,004

2 Claims. 1

My present invention relates to means for holding vertically movable windows in position in a window frame and in adjusted position relative to each other.

A principal object of my present invention is to eliminate the necessity for spring or weight counter-balances normally employed in sash window constructions. The use of my invention eliminates the necessity for the purchase and installation of spring devices, pulleys, sash cords and sash weights normally encountered heretofore.

A further object of my invention is to make possible the installation of freely moving windows by relatively unskilled artisans. It is well known in the building trade that windows are very difiicult to install because of the binding effects created if any portion of a window frame is slightly out of true. An object of the present invention is to provide a frame formed of preshaped and joined sheet metal members accurate- 1y trued to provide sash guides for a pair of vertically movable windows whereby the slight inaccuracies which result in window binding are eliminated.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a window frame formed of sheet metal parts which may be rapidly inserted and looked in position in a frame built into the structure of a house.

A further object of the present invention is to provide means whereby vertically movable windows may be retained in any of a plurality of adjusted positions, or moved therefrom by the application of light pressure so that the windows may be adjusted by any person, including invalids and small children.

The objects and advantages of the present invention may be more readily understood by referring to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a window embodying a preferred form of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section, partially broken away, taken substantially along line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken substantial-1y along line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the present invention; and

Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of a window embodying a modification of the present invention.

In Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive there is disclosed a portion of the wall of a house including a window frame in which is mounted an upper window l and a lower window I I which are adapted to be locked in closed position by any suitable type of locking means [2. The upper and outer edge of the lower window is provided with a downframe includes a lower sill plate adapted to be screwed to the sill l6 by screws 2|, and an upper plate 22 adapted to be screwed to the cap board ll by suitable screws (not shown). The upper and lower plates 22 and 20, respectively, are joined by vertical members 23, one at each side of the rectangular frame. The members 23 are longitudinally formed so as to be relatively stiff and to provide an intermediat section which may be formed about a mold strip 24 which will be retained in the grip of the sheet metal and thus provide a rigid, central, vertical sash guide. The lateral edges of the vertical members 23 are so located as to provide guiding means for an outer sash guide including a rectangularly formed metal strip 25 wrapped about a mold strip 26 and an inner ornamental mold strip 21, which form the inner and outer sash guides respectively. The inner and outer sash guides are separat from the formed vertical members 23 so that they may be screwed or nailed in position after the windows I0 and H are positioned. I thus have provided a structure which may be used as a rectangular jig for the formation of the window opening, which may be inserted or removed from the window opening, which is retained therein by a few screws, and which is combined with removable front and rear sash guides to retain the windows in position.

The vertical sashes 30 of the windows are provided with facings comprising channel strips 3| in the side faces of which are a plurality of dents or depressions 32 of relatively shallow depth and of a diameter to receive and retain balls 33 of hardened steel which are mounted in the ends of spring retainer members 34. The retainer members are preferably formed by crimping the ends of short sections of tubing at 35 so as to provide means to retain springs 36, expanding the opposite end of the tube to provide a guide capable of receiving the ball and crimping the end of the expanded portion at 3! after the ball is in position to provide means to retain the ball against the force of the spring. A washer 38 is frictionally retained adjacent the crimped end 31, preferably by expanding the tube with the washer in position. The lateral portions of the vertical member 23 are provided with openings 40 of sufficient diameter to receive the expanded tubing but to prevent the passage of the washer 38. After the metal frame is retained in position holes 4| may be drilled through the vertical frame member I8 of such diameter as frictionally to grip the expanded portion of the tube sections so that the ball retainers may be driven into position and firmly gripped to provide additional means for locking the metal frame in position. The openings 40 are preferably substantially midway of the vertical dimension of the window so that additional means for retaining the sash guides in true alignment is thus provided.

As indicated by the broken away portion of Fig. 2 a pair of ball retainers are positioned at each side of the window so as to balance the frictional pressures against the opposite sides of the window and provide ballbearing guidance for the windows in their vertical movements. Due to such balanced pressures the windows move freely upon the application of slight pressure, and the windows will be retained in any adjusted position when the balls are forced into any of the depressions 32.

In Fig. I have indicated the application of the present invention in another form wherein all details as previousl illustrated are the same except that the front surfaces of the vertical sashes of the upper window 10 are provided with metal strips 50 in which are located a plurality of depressions 5! adapted to cooperate with ball retainer members 52 located in the upper corners of the lower window ll. Such a construction may be found more feasible where the upper and lower window are separated by a thin central sash guide such as would be provided by a metal guide bent upon itself.

I have herein illustrated and described preferred embodiments of my invention from which it should be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications in detail and arrangement may be achieved. All such modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the appended claims are considered to be a portion of my invention.

I claim:

1. A ball check device for insertion in a window frame to retain windows in vertically adjusted position comprising a length of tubing having one end crimped over to form a spring seat, a portion of the opposite end expanded to form a ball receiving portion, a ball mounted in said ball receiving portion, and its open end crimped inwardly to prevent outward passage of said ball received in said ball receiving portion, a spring compressed between said spring seat and said ball, and a washer extending outwardly from the vicinity of said expanded portion to limit the insertion of said device into a receiving opening,,said ball receiving portion of the tubing being expanded sufiiciently to retain said washer thereon.

2. A ball check device for association with a vertically movable window to retain the window in vertically adjusted position comprising a length of tubing crimped inwardly at one end to form a spring seat and its opposite end restricted sufilciently to prevent outward passage of a ball receivable in said length of tubing, a portion of said tubing adjacent said restricted end being expanded to a larger diameter than the remainder thereof, a ball retained in said expanded portion and yieldably projecting beyond said restricted end, a spring compressed between said spring seat and said ball, and a washer extending outwardly from the vicinity of said restricted end to form a limiting abutment to limit the insertion of said length of tubing into a receiving opening, said expanded portion of the tubing being expanded sufliciently to retain said washer thereon.

MICHELE SCIUTO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED .STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 681,379 Tidd Aug. 27, 1901 1,477,248 Daugherty Dec. 11, 1923 1,501,584 Cox July 15, 1924 1,743,454 Howenstein Jan. 14, 1930 2,091,036 Glaser Aug. 24, 1937 2,213,989 Martisius Sept. 10, 1940 2,397,090 Dautrick et a1 Mar. 26, 1946 2,426,567 Snider Aug. 26, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 191,898 Great Britain Jan. 25, 1923 331,968 Great Britain 1930 516,507 France 192-0 

